Feed-through.



UNITED STATES Patented July 5, 1904. r

. PATENT OEEicE.

IFEED-ATROUGH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 763,951, dated July 5, 1904.

Application file January 2, 1903. Serial No. 137,548. (No model.)

1'0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. BETHEA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Latta, in the county of Marion and State of South I Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Troughs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying'drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to feed-troughs; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and convenient portable trough at which a horse or mare and colt may feed at the same time, with means for preventing the mare from getting at the colts feed. The compartment adapted to contain the colts feed is provided with a spring-actuated diaphragm or false bottom,-which is mounted upon springs, which have a tendency to hold the diaphragm in an elevated position.

, The compartment adapted to hold the colts feed is covered with a hinged section having a number of parallel slats which are adapted to be swung down upon the feed contained within the said compartment, and the colt gets at the said feed through the space between the said slats; but the slats are close enough together to prevent the mare from getting at the feed in said compartment. The said slats are of special construction-that is, their upper edges are beveled-in order that no sharp corners may be presented to the nose of the colt and, furthermore, the slats are so shaped in order to more effectually withstand strain should the mare attempt to get at the colts feed by pawing or stamping upon the slats.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the feed-trough. Fig.

- 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same,

and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

The trough consists-oi the compartment 1,

which is adapted to contain the colts feed. The diaphragm 2 is located in said compartment 1 and is mounted upon the coil-springs 3 3, which bear at their lower ends upon the bottom of the said compartment. The section 4 is hinged to the upper edge of the trough in such position that its sides are in vertical alinement with the walls of the compartment 1 when swung down upon the same. The hinged section'4 is provided with the parallel slats 5 5, the upper longitudinal edges of which are beveled or chamfered off, so as not to present sharp corners to the nose of the colt and, furthermore, to permit reasonably heavy or thick slats to be used and at the same time to allow the colt to get at the feed. The forward edge of the section 4: is provided with a hasp 6, which is adapted to engage a staple located on the outer side of the trough. The compartment 7 is adapted to contain the mares feed. This trough is adapted to be used by placing it upon the ground in any desired place. The colts feed is placed upon the diaphragm 2, and the section 4 is swung down and secured in the manner as shown in Fig. 1. The mares feed is placed in the compartment 7. As the colt removes the feed from the space between the slats 5 the springs 3 3 will force the diaphragm 2 up and continually maintain the feed against the under sides of the slats 5.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A feed-trough of the character as described having separate feed-compartments for a horse and a colt, and slats over the colts compartment having spaces to admit the colts nose but not that of the horse.

2. A feed-trough of the character 'as described having a partition dividing it into separate feed-compartments for a horse and colt and a hinged section having slats, said section fitting over the colts feed-compartment, the space between the slats adapted to admit the nose of the colt but not that of the horse.

3. A feed-trough of the character as described having separate feed-compartments for a horse and a colt, slats located in the colts feed-compartment the space between the same being sufficient to admit the nose of the colt but not that of the horse and a means located in the colts feed-compartment for elevating the feed against the under sides of said slats.

4:. A feed-trough of the character as described having separate feed-compartments for a horse and a colt, slats located within the colts feed-compartment, the space between said slats being sufficient to admit the nose of the colt but not that of the horse, said slats in cross-section being rectangular and having their upper longitudinal edges beveled off.

5. A feed-trough of the character as described having separate feed-compartments for a horse and a colt, a hinged section lo- SAMUEL J. BETHEA.

Witnesses:

S. M. WATSON, C. Gr. BAss. 

